Justify
by B.Vain
Summary: One's conscience comes in various forms. Zoro's always been Kuina.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**: Author owes nothing.

Step 1: Dawning Realization

"…do you wish me to pierce your heart thus? Why do you refuse to back down?"

The world had shrunk to a single moment; a moment that stretched from that moonlit night in the backwaters of the dojo to this blazing afternoon on the cleaved galleon that bobbed up and down with the lulling waves as a testament to the strength and skill that he had vowed to achieve.

"_**You're lucky to be born a guy, Zoro…"**_

His goal is in his arms' reach and yet it feels lifetimes away.

"Beats me…" he says because it does.

In face of such insurmountable strength and unprecedented skill, right now the weight of his dream and promise feel brittle in his hands like the blades that have become the embodiment of his own strength and skills over time. Standing as he is on a precarious balance between death and defeat if he makes one wrong step, his instincts roar at him, it would slip out of his grasp, fall and shatter in million pieces, to be washed away by time to never ever be retained.

"…not sure myself… but I get the feeling… that if I were to take even one step back right now, I would lose something very important to me… a promise or oath… whatever it is would irreversibly be broken, and that I would never be able to come back to where I am right now." Mihawk's blade slides a little deeper as the large chunk of wood shifts on the waves.

"Yes, such is defeat."Mihawk informs him.

"… haha… then I would rather die than be defeated." I may not be the strongest swordsman yet, Zoro smirks, but you don't get to defeat me.

It won't be your blade but Death's scythe that would put an end to our battle. An opponent against who even you would succumb to; what delicious irony would it be to fall prey to the very force that you prided to deliver, better than any other. And when you do, which you would, you get to see Kuina and tell her, "I was the one who killed Rororna Zoro but even I, the World's Strongest, could not defeat him. …Death intervened."

Miwhawk might be thinking something along the same lines for he pulls the little blade out and asks, "Kid… tell me your name."

"Roronoa Zoro."

He re-sheathes the small blade, "I shall remember it, for your strength is not oft seen in this world."

Well at least Zoro had made him acknowledge his metal, which might count as something.

"And to pay you my respects as a fellow swordsman," he sounds solemn none of the earlier condescending or mockery tints his tone "I shall end this duel with my Black Sword, the World's greatest sword." The shrieking of his sword as it's being pulled out induces a multitude if gasps and exclamations.

Zoro leaps back and swiftly lands. Standing proud as he always does he shifts his grip on his swords and aligns them allowing his mind, body and breath to become one.

And then it happens…

His swords begin to pulsate, in sync with his own thundering heartbeat. If the world had shrunk before and gone still, now it is throbbing with life- the wood beneath his feet, the sea across it floated and even the Black Sword poised to end his life; beating with the strength of a Sun.

Zoro hears his three swords calling him…

An undecipherable emotion flickers across Hawkeyes' face as if he could hear them too.

…and he calls back,

"**SANTOURYUU OUGI!"**

You have my gratitude, Zoro tells them, for wielding my strength and cleaving open a path as I charged ahead towards my dream for so long. Now our goal has literally walked up to us. This is it! Let's WIN!

"**SANZEN ZEKAI!**"

The muted silence returned. His shattered swords clatter around though Wadou remains intact, its blade shooting the sunlight back it caught, loyal until the very end.

He has been defeated. After so many years of being the undisputed best he lost and he finds the experience… oddly humbling and illuminating not frustrating or discouraging. Pushing Wadou back in its white sheath he turns to face, nay, _welcome_ his end.

"What…?" Mihawk allows that emotion to play with his features again and this time Zoro recognizes it.

"A wound on one's back is a swordsman shame." He reminds him.

"Splended!" that emotion is that of excitement.

Arms spread wide Zoro, unlike others to wait for Death to claim them, announces, listen you Death and listen well, you may be absolute in your power and unbeatable in your domain but you did not defeat me. Instead I chose you, ungrudgingly.

Mihawk's gleaming blade glides down, gradually filling his vision until that's all he sees; the black, eternal expanse and when it slides further down a completely different scene greets him.

It's a familiar moonlit night illuminating, however, an unfamiliar topography- a wide, dark forest. And in front of him stood a beautiful girl in a silver kimono and flowing blue hair.

"I know," she tells him in exasperation but her smile is affectionate. "so go back now and don't show me your face until you are the best!". She pushes him back…

… and he feels the slithering waves crash against his back and azure afternoon sky fill his eyes . Slowly the sea pulls him in and darkness engulfs him.

That day as he slipped beneath the layers of brine Roronoa Zoro realized that his existence encompasses more than mere flesh and bones and muscles of his body, it's a part of it but not entirety of it. He would need more than constant physical training to be the best. What it would be he is not sure but he is sure to figure it out soon.

And that knowledge that day transformed him into something more than a pursuer of his dreams- a worthy contestant.

It deepened his understanding as Strawhat Luffy's first mate, as the man honored with the duty of protecting and aiding his Captain's grand dream to fruition.

That day Monkey D. Luffy took a giant leap closer to fulfilling his destiny: attaining absolute freedom across the seas as the King of Pirates.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Author owes nothing.

Justify

Ch 2: Rise of the "Pirate Hunter" Zoro

(Part 1-Arrival)

"What..? You lost or something?"

The redhead girl that stood at the head of the gang stared at him for moments. The bandits surrounding him stared hard at Zoro, flummoxed, in shocked silence. And considering that the port town was all but abandoned, in their silence Zoro could hear his breath as he sighed out in annoyance.

Man, what a pain! Zoro thought long-sufferingly as looked up at the azure sky.

It was a beautiful winter afternoon. The sun beat warmly down at the world it silently gazed upon and the breeze was light and soothing. It was the kind of afternoon that one would find a solitary place for so as to spend time with their family and friends basking in joyous company and glorious afternoon away from the mundane chores of routine life, dancing drinking and laughing.

At daybreak that morning on his quest to find 'Hawkeye' Mihawk when Zoro had woken up in his small sailboat at the shore of this island he had some similar plans-tie the sails for for good for some time, practice kenjutsu when on land, lift some rocks, practice kenjutsu some more, locate the nearest bar and buy as much booze and snacks he could with the little money he had left, find a silent place and relish a glorious winter afternoon; simple. If only.

Fate, as it seemed, had different plans for him as usual.

As soon as he crossed the damaged wooden pier after securing his boat and entered the port town a wave of dread washed over him as he found himself pitted against his oldest nemesis- the evil twins called streets and alleys and their sadistic elder brother DEAD END!

Damnitall to hell!

For hours, _hours_, he wandered off in the silent streets and alleys bumping into dead ends every now and then in hopes of finding some clue to find his way out of this maze. And with every hour that passed he was nearing a dreadful conclusion; that somehow he was still asleep in his boat and this was just a freaking nightmare.

Shit! He's really screwed this time.

If the identical looking streets with their identical looking buildings were not giving him enough of hard time, Zoro couldn't find a single person skulk the streets of this cursed maze whom he could ask for the directions. And if the dilapidated buildings that stood sentinel the dirty garbage littered streets groaning when wind pushed against their ancient joints were any clues the situation had been similar for quite some time and would continue to stagnate further.

So there he was, standing in a wide area at the intersection of four roads looking down each in turn to look for any sign of life when _they_ popped out.

From the dark corners of the alleys, the roof of buildings and from several others of their hiding places they emerged like cockroaches and surrounded him.

Zoro wasn't surprised, though.

In fact, he had been aware of their presence for time even before they made themselves appear, so rotten they smelled.

For moments they stood in silence. Zoro casually looked from one sneering bandit to the next taking in their arsenal of weapons; Pistols, rifles, swords, spears and a horrible sense of fashion.

All in all, Zoro concluded, he wouldn't make out unscathed were they to enter a duel. So he tried to be diplomatic. Though it never was his strong point but it made no sense abusing one's strength by entering a duel that can be avoided, otherwise.

He turned to the red haired girl who despite being youngest of her gang had the countenance of the one used to being listened to and followed immediately and asked politely,

"What…? You lost or something?"

The effect was instantaneous, albeit a little confusing.

The nasty, sly, yellow toothed grins that those thugs had been flashing in his direction all along vanished suddenly like drops of water off red hot iron.

There was silence, utter and absolute. It was so silent that Zoro could hear the wind whisper in his ears, the light protests of the garbage littered around as wind ushered them down the streets.

A small tinkering can, helpless against the wind's wild whims bounced across the town square and hit Zoro's boot before rolling listlessly around.

And just as suddenly had the silence come it dissipated as the bandits around burst into raucous laughter that tore across the area.

"'You lost', _he_ asks! GYAHAHAHAH~~~!"

"Good one Nori*!BWAHAHAHAH~~~!"

"You've got a sense of humor Algae-head, I'll give you that. But that's not gonna help you with us." The red head girl looked highly amused as she told him that pulling her sword out of its scabbard that hung at her back.

The wild laughter that echoed off of the lonely streets slowly subsided to be replaced by locking and loading of guns and other weapons being readied for assault.

Now they are just being plain damn rude, Zoro thought dourly and frowned darkly, and he even tried to be polite too.

Well he has a cure for rude bastards like them as well.

He pulled out his swords.

When dealing with such hopeless cases you need a bit of a personal touch to settle matters.

Poised like a tiger on hunt Zoro aligned his swords as he crouched low to counter the attack that was to come.

"**TORA**"

"FIRE!" "ATTACK!"

"**GARI!**"

Even before a single bullet left the barrel of its firearm seven of the bandits were down and Zoro was nowhere on the site to be seen.

He moved like wind, weaving around his opponents, evading their attacks.

He was a blur of blades and yet when he hit he made it count. The only thing that betrayed his presence were the surprised yelps of his opponents strangled by their cries of agony as his blades slashed and dull thud as their bodies hit the ground but he was gone by the time others turned to look.

He left a trail of carnage in his wake like a beast from hell.

And thus began the chain of events that transformed the master of Santouryuu to the Demon "Pirate Hunter"

* * *

><p>*Nori is actually dried algae sheets used for wrapping sushi. I have never seen sushi or nori up close so I might've made an incorrect analogy.<p>

When the randomthug 2 called Zoro Nori he was mocking his trimmed muscles(dried as opposed to their buffed up forms)and green hair.

Point my mistakes out 'n I'll fix them.

and please review:-)


	3. Chapter 3

**JUSTIFY**

**RISE OF THE PIRATE HUNTER ZORO**

**(Part 2- Fate)**

She woke up to dull throb of pain and a dimly lit room filled with the whispering of the wind and the light flutter of the cotton curtains drawn over an open window to her right.

With a wince she sat up and looked around, gauging her surroundings for possible clues.

Judging from the faint light that peeked around the flowing curtains it seemed it that twilight was upon them.

The room was well furnished with a small sofa and a wooden table lying upon which was a newspaper under a dragon paper weight and the bed that she was lying on wrapped in bandages and covered in blankets that smelled of sunlight and fresh air.

The wall in front of her opened into a door on the farthest left corner that was left ajar and allowed the murmurs of activities slip into the room. But everything was too low to be deciphered.

When her surroundings failed to provide her with satisfactory amount of information she swung her feet off the bed. A burning lance of pain pierced through her side and a heavy wave of nausea hit made her bend over herself.

Pain can be a useful stimulator; not a welcome one but effective nonetheless.

An image of a green haired death god, wielding three swords, shrouded in the fumes of carnage flickered through her sluggish mind.

And slowly memories began to trickle in.

She put her feet on the rough carpet, slowly this time, and moved her toes.

As memories piled up the sedated mind began to pick up speed.

With a grunt she stood to her feet and took a step forward.

_**There had been report of a man wandering the streets of dead, abandoned Pirate Complex; a place where no sane man would enter.**_

Her step was too long, too fast, for that light head feeling assaulted her again. Slowly she made her way past the door into a narrow hall, lit by the warm glow of the oil lamps hanging on the walls and the twilight that escaped in through the glass window at the far end.

_**And the man was not acknowledged as an ordinary one. He carried three swords and exuded the confidence of a lion on hunt.**_

She heard the hurried footsteps before a young woman appeared around the corner carrying food. Her steps had a snap of purpose to them that submerged into the silence of the corridor once she noticed the young redhead.

_**The many presumptions about the man's identity were made; an officer of the Council, a Pirate of the Colonials or a murdering thug from the other gang. But he had been walking in circles for hours, perhaps unfamiliar with the area, like a hired bounty hunter.**_

"Goodness," the lady exclaimed, "You look like you might fall any second." She briskly walked up to the redhead and placed a hand on her forehead; it was cold and smelled of antiseptic.

_**So it was decided upon to capture the man alive, if possible. Dead, if needs must.**_

"You have a high fever running up honey. You should not out of your bed." This woman has a handsome face, dark tanned skin and copper brown hair. Her voice sounds oddly soothing.

_**But it had been a mistake. They had underestimated the man; hugely. He was not lion on hunt, as they had presumed, but an angry dragon provoked to engage in a battle that he turned into a smoldering grave in a blink.**_

"You're sweating way too much; you look like you could use a painkiller. Come on, let's go in."

_**And she had been helplessly watching her men fall, dumbstruck and frozen with fear. Just like she watched her father and mother fall through the creek from underneath the wooden floor when the Pirates of the Colonials raided their town. All these years of training and turns out she's still a weak coward.**_

"Hey are you listening-"

The redhead jerked her hand off the woman's grip and pushed against the wall of the corridor she had subliminally leaned against."What's this place? Where are my men?", her voice sounded rasp and weak even to her own ears.

"This is a doctor's house. And your men outside, wreaking havoc and driving my husband around the bend, might I add." The woman said in exasperation.

"Oh no you don't." the Lady jogged in front of the Redhead who had started to walk down the corridor. "You are wounded and you have a fever. Where do you think you are going?"

"None of your business!" the Redhead snapped and tried to step around the Lady. But her wounded, ailed state had robbed her of agility and speed and she found her path blocked by the Lady again.

She glared her resentment at the infuriating Lady.

"You're just like that moss haired swordsman. No respect for the body's needs." The Lady looked down her nose at the Redhead.

"What swordsman?" the Redhead asked.

"The one who carried you and your men all the Way from the Pirate District to here," the Lady told "you don't know him?"

Oh I know him alright, the redhead thought, "Where's he?" but she asked instead.

"I'm not telling you until you go back to your room." The Lady announced imperiously, folding her arms over her chest.

The redhead glared resentfully at the Lady who simply arched a cool brow.

"Fine, then." the redhead spat "I will find him on my own."

She shoved the Lady to the side and moved past her towards the window that peeked at the night sky outside only to…

THUD.

She fell flat on her face.

"Oh brother" the Lady sighed and walked up to the Redhead to carry her back to the room.

* * *

><p>"Take a turn left at the T-intersection, a 700-800 meters straight and there's you have your inns."<p>

Finally things seemed to be looking up.

Thanking the old shopkeeper Zoro trotted on towards his destination and took a large chug from the clay pot he just bought.

So maybe the day wasn't a complete disaster after all. It wasn't exactly how he had planned but that's just what makes life worth it.

He was enjoying sake under the warm afternoon sun after a decent a decent spar, not in a quiet spot, granted, but strolling the wide, busy streets of the habited area of the port town. And roaming about in new lands always refreshes the mind.

Thanks to the bandits attack earlier he was able to find his way to the town. He still wasn't sure why he was attacked but it was a misunderstanding from what he could gather from the half conscious mook's explanation who had begged of him to save the Redhead.

Or Jade-san, Zoro grimaced weaving his way around people and taking another chug, as the mook had said her name was. And Zoro had complied if only to save a talent from going down the gutter.

But it might not count for much, Zoro mused shaking his head at the one of roadside vendors lining up the pavements insisting that he has the cheapest Colonials suits, because he had seen that look in her eyes. Burning determination, like the purest of the fires dancing; people like her are too damn proud.

"You're letting your imagination run wild again, Zoro. Seeing things how they oughtn't be to perceived." A soft familiar voice called up beside him.

Zoro shifted his gaze to look at a beautiful young woman, in a grey kimono with flowing glossy blue locks today wore in a bun walking by his side. Her elegance and beauty stand her out like a colorful flower in black and white scenery.

"I just saved her on a whim." He said by the way of explaining, moving aside for an ox driven cart to pass by.

"No. You saved her because you saw a shadow of me in, like you do in every woman of spirit." She countered easily as she rejoined him, hitting the bully's eye without even trying.

"What does it matter?" Zoro tried "I beat her before without trying; I can do it again if she plans on coming after me. It's over one way or the other." his tone had a dismissive edge to it.

In front of him was a small tailor shop amongst many others that stretched from the far right to far left.

"Oh she's isn't on my list of worries, It's your attitude that gives me headache." But Zoro;s testy remarks have never stopped her before, why should now be any different. "One of these days you'll get yourself in load of unnecessary trouble."

"Whatever."

Zoro took a left and headed in the direction where far ahead a similar horizontal row of buildings was partly visible, for the other part vanished behind the buildings of the shopping district.

The crowd in this part was even denser than before.

"Then what are you suggesting?" Zoro began without any preamble, shoving people out his way none too politely "The man had begged. And I hadn't held back, so for all I knew he could've been making his last wish."

"I am not suggesting anything, Zoro, nor am I here to judge you." The woman sighed forlornly "You know as well as I that I am here because in the heart of your hearts you know the reason for actions are not justified."

"Whatever." Zoro muttered once more.

But without even turning to look he knew she was gone. So when a group of boys were shoved upon him he hollered "Watch it."

And shoved them back and walked up to a pedestrian, an old man in a worn hat smoking a pipe, instead to inquire.

"What the hell is going on there?" he jerked a casual thumb towards the alley between a large dairy and fast food corner, where there seemed to be some sort of commotion and the crowd was thickest.

"Some wayward brats selling the tickets to the festival in black!" the old man laughed bitterly "As if a piece of paper can buy you a high class or make yours an Imperial Race. Hah!" the old man spat a t Zoro's boots. "Fucking Racists, that's what they are!"

Many heads, shopkeepers and pedestrian alike, turned at them all of them a little startled but none disagreeing.

A young boy, perhaps a little older than Zoro, came rushing to his Grandpa's side casting furtive glances about and whispered harshly, "Grandpa, hush!" he then turned to Zoro and bowed down deep in apology.

Zoro waved him off, shoved his hands in his pockets and reconvened his quest to find an inn to spend the night.

Hearing the low mutters of the old man of not being afraid, glancing around at the variety of shops flanking the street, this is one interesting place to be, Zoro mused.

* * *

><p>For the second time she woke up to pain and light. Though both were dimmed this time and memories came flooding in spontaneously.<p>

"Looking good sleeping beauty." A deep feminine voice, rich with age and experience greeted Jade. "How are you feeling?"

Slowly she sat up on the bed that had lost its sterile crispiness but none of its lulling comfort.

She turned to look to her right where near the wall sat a sofa facing bed behind an old wooden table that was currently occupied with a first aid box, vials of colored liquid and a china plate with a half peeled apple among peeled slices.

The Lady pushed open the window and leaned outside to shout to her left,

"All right guys, she's up! You can meet her now! But only through the window! For five minutes!"

There was a lot of noise- whoops of joy, cries of relief, clatter of metal hitting the ground followed by thudding of footsteps and…

"Boss!" "Boss! You look hot as ever!" "Hell yeah!" "HOW YOU FEELING BOSS?"

Jade couldn't help but chuckle at the antics of her cohort of misfits currently choking the window covered in swells and bruises and bandages, cheering like they have found a damn treasure chest instead of barely escaping Death.

"You guys are pathetic!" she tried to scold, especially those morons crying shamelessly, but the fondness found its way into her tone.

"WE SURE AS HECK ARE!" "THAT'S WHY WE NEED YOU BOSS!" "ALRIGHT! WE'RE BACK, BABBY!"! "THIS CALLS FOR PARTY!"

"YEAH!"

"Time's up. Out you go now." The Lady pushed the men out.

A little whining, a little grumbling, lots of "Ow! Watch it! Injured warrior passing through!' and even more laughter and cheering and as abruptly the noise had flooded the room it was cut off when the glass panes met.

Like the mimics' show she had been to in the annual Harvest Fair with her family they carried on their antics as they walked out of sight.

"They were teetering on the edge of nervous breakdown with worry all the while you lay unconscious." The Lady said. Her tone was warm with affection "You seem like a close pack."

Pack…? So she's probably, not surprisingly, aware of their bandit status. But that makes her efforts all the more

Jade bowed low in her sitting position, her crimson tresses rippling down with the motion.

"I'm eternally grateful for the care you provided us and saved our lives. I'll repay your kindness, I swear upon my honor." Jade observed solemnly.

Her laughter wasn't an offending sound, to the contrary it was refreshing like the waves crashing against rocky shores, but it was the act itself that Jade found offending.

"My, a bandit speaking of honor that's gotta be a first." The Lady walked up to the bed and lowered herself near the edge. "I did less than nothing. If you want to direct these words of gratitude and my husband, the doctor, and the Bushido guy who brought you here. And your men too, for that matter from all the way to the Pirate district to our neck of woods."

That rang a bell.

"The green haired swords man, where did he go?" Jade asked urgently.

The Lady raised a brow.

Jade rolled her eyes after a moment and assured her, "I'm not running away."

"Uh-huh." Lady said before answering, "As soon as he was patched up, he asked for directions and took off."

"He was injured?" Jade didn't remember Him being hit once. All that she could recall were dark tendrils of smoke rising, sprays of blood, shrieks and thuds before he materialized before her.

"A couple of cuts here and bullets grazed flesh there, "Scratches", as he had put, compared to you guys." The Lady commented. "Who was he, anyhow?"

"I was kinda hoping you might tell me something. But apparently, he is not big on socializing." Jade muttered to herself.

"He didn't stay long enough to socialize. That man wasn't just talk. He looked like he could take cannon head on and lay waste an army." The Lady sounded a little disturbed instead of the thrill for such monstrous strength that Jade could feel coursing through her veins, washing off the giddiness of the drugs.

But Jade refrained from commenting upon it and chose to silence guide the conversation to an end or a different topic, predictably, something about her being a bandit or her past.

"Well, you look like you could use a little sleep" but the Lady rose instead to fetch the apples, "unsurprisingly so, judging by the amount of blood. Here."

She handed Jade the plate and patted her feet lightly before making an exit.

"Thank you." Jade whispered softly.

The Lady turned with an understanding smile before she gently clicked the door shut.

That night when Jade nibbled at her apple slices, a solemn beauty bathed in dull yellow glow of the lamp, fate made its second move.

A fat tear trickled down her nose that she wiped with her sleeve, muttering half-heartedly about stupid painkillers making her emotional because after all she was just a fifteen years old girl starved for affection and care as any tragedy stricken child would be.

Love, affection, smiles and forth hurt worse than hatred and abandonment when lost, yet we starve for them, strive for them only to inevitably loose them. Hence, questions arise; Are they worth it? All the pain and suffering? Or it would've been better if the ones we loved never existed in the first place?

This was the beginning of one such premise that would throw a certain green haired swordsman in a similar dilemma.


End file.
